The Gentle
Man
Matthew 4:5-6
by Paul
George
Jesus said the happy
people in this world are the meek. There have been many
debates as to exactly what meekness consists of. Some
defined meekness as humility. This definition does not
fully reveal all that is included in meekness. Its usage
in Scripture reveals a link between meekness and
lowliness that cannot be separated (Matthew 11:29;
Ephesians 4:1-2) It is associated with and cannot be
separated from gentleness (2 Corinthians 10:1; Titus
3:2). The psalmist tells us God “leads the humble in
justice, and He teaches the humble His way (Psalm 25:9).
In the Beatitudes Jesus is describing the orderly
development of God’s work of grace in the soul.
Meekness is a by-product
of self-emptying and self-humiliation; or, in other
words, a broken will and a receptive heart before God.
It is not only the opposite of pride, but of
stubbornness, fierceness, and vengefulness. It is the
taming of the lion, the making of the wolf to lie down
as a lamb. In the ungodly and religionist the meekness
that is found in the love of ease, absence of
sensibility, stability, and other passions, is
susceptible to change in form or nature, must be
separated from biblical meekness. It is susceptible of
being modified in form or nature, from good, and
persuaded to evil. It is often found in ungodly men and
in the character of the religious.
Biblical meekness to
which the blessing of gracious is added enables men of
the most intense, passionate, impetuous, and merciless
character, by looking to Jesus through the grace of God,
learn to curb their tempers, cease from resentment,
avoid offending by injurious words and actions, and
forgive injuries. It is the opposite of self-well toward
God, and ill-will toward men. The meek Jesus refers to
are those who quietly submit themselves to the will of
God, His Word, His rod, and follow His directions and
comply with His plan for their lives and are gentle
toward their fellowman.
The fruits of meekness
are first God ward. Where this fruit is dominant the
enmity of the carnal mind is subdued, and its possessor
bears God’s chastening with quietness and patience.
Second it is man ward, inasmuch as meekness is that
spirit which has been schooled to mildness by discipline
and suffering, and brought into obedience to the will of
God. It causes the believer to bear patiently the
insults and injuries which he receives at the hands of
his fellowman and makes him ready to accept instruction
or admonishment and moves him to think more highly of
others than of himself. Meekness enables the Christian
to endure provocations without being provoked to anger
or vengeance. Paul told the Galatians, "Brethren, if a
man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual,
restore such a one in the spirit of meekness” (Galatians
6:1). This means, not with a lordly and a domineering
attitude, a harsh and censorious temper, with a love of
finding fault and desire for inflicting discipline but
with gentleness, humility and patience.
Contrary to what is
believed in this world meekness is not a sign of
weakness. It is manifested in an individual by the
yielding to God’s will and will not yield to or
compromise with evil. God-given meekness enables His
people to stand up for God-given rights. When God’s
glory is profaned we must denounce the profanity and
those who profane God’s glory. We need to follow Moses’
example. He was "very meek, above all the men which were
upon the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3), yet when he saw
the Israelites dancing before the golden calf he broke
the two tables of stone, and put to the sword those who
had dishonored Jehovah. The apostles firmly and boldly
stood their ground when they were beaten for preaching
the gospel message (Acts 16:35-37). Jesus in concern for
His Father’s glory made a whip of cords and drove the
desecrators out of the temple. Jude tells us we are to
“contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all
handed down to the saints” (v 3). Biblical meekness is
never in conflict with the requirements of faithfulness
to God, His cause, and His people.
The spirit of meekness is what enables us to get
enjoyment out of what God has given us. It delivers us
from a greedy and grasping disposition, what “a
righteous man has is better than the riches of many
wicked" (Ps. 37:16). The proud and covetous do not
"inherit the earth," though they may own many acres of
it. The humble Christian is far happier in a cottage
than the wicked in a palace. The author of Proverbs
wrote, "Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than
great treasure and trouble with it. (Proverbs 15:16).
Writing to the
Corinthians Paul said, "let no one boast in men. For all
things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollas or Cephas
or the world or life, or death, or things present, or
things to come; all things belong to you” (1 Corinthians
3:21-22). Our right or title to the earth is twofold:
civil and spiritual. The civil is approved by men
according to their laws and customs. The spiritual is
approved by God. Adam had this spiritual right to the
earth before he fell, but by his sin he forfeited it
both for himself and his posterity. But Jesus has
regained it for all God’s children.
Our inheritance is an Old Testament promise with a New
Testament meaning. The value of this spiritual grace and
the need to pray for an increase of it is found in
Zephaniah 2:3. As a further inducement to “seek the
Lord” is the promises, "The meek shall eat and be
satisfied" (Psalm 21:26), "The Lord lifts up the meek"
(Psalm 147:6), "The meek also shall increase their joy
in the Lord" (Isaiah 29:19). From these passages we
should be able to see it is foolishness seeking earthly
possessions without any regard to the Lord’s will. Since
all right to the earth was lost by Adam and is only
recovered by the Redeemer, we can have no part of it
until we have a part in Him. Just as we can not purchase
or possess an earthly inheritance, we can not purchase
or possess any heavenly inheritance.
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